A protective layer of mortar fell off the roof of a recently completed residential building in Farrer Park on Saturday (Jul. 19) morning.

The falling rubble damaged a motorcycle parked below, and the road was subsequently cordoned off for at least 10 hours.

No injuries were reported.

Rubble fell from building in the morning

The incident happened at a five-storey building at the junction of Rangoon Road and Dorset Road.

A 64-year-old retiree surnamed Deng (transliteration) told Shin Min Daily News (Shin Min) that he was taking a stroll nearby at around 9am when rubble started falling from the building.

Police then arrived swiftly to cordon off that stretch of road, he shared.

Thankfully, no one was walking below at the time, or they could have been killed, Deng opined.

A Shin Min reporter at the scene noted that there were about 10 workers carrying out renovation works on the second floor of the building at the time.

One of the workers told Shin Min that they didn't hear the sound of the falling rubble as they were working at another part of the building at the time.

Road cordoned off for more than 10 hours

The road was cordoned off by police for safety reasons, Shin Min reported.

The cordon was in place for more than 10 hours, until about 8pm that night.

There were also two motorcycles parked along the street next to the building, according to Shin Min.

One had been struck by the falling mortar and had fallen to the ground.

Its seat had been cracked in half, and its body was bent out of shape. The engine could not be started.

Its owner told Shin Min that he had bought the second-hand motorbike for S$18,000 seven months ago.

He added that the damage done to the bike was serious and he has since contacted a representative for the building to resolve the matter.

No one was injured: BCA

In response to Mothership's enquiries, a Building and Construction Authority (BCA) spokesperson said that they were alerted about the incident by the police on the morning of Jul. 19.

It involved a dislodged protective screed at a recently completed residential building, the spokesperson noted.

A screed is a type of mortar which is typically bonded onto concrete surfaces for construction purposes.

"We understand that no one was injured," the spokesperson said.

The building obtained a Temporary Occupation Permit (TOP) on Jun. 20, which allows homeowners to live there before the remaining amenities are completed.

It has not yet received its Certificate of Statutory Completion (CSC), which is issued after all aspects of a development have been completed.

Builder to remove all protective mortar from roof as precaution: BCA

BCA engineers also observed that the dislodged screed is an architectural finish of the sloped roof, which is non-structural in nature, the spokesperson added.

"The structural Qualified Person (QP) of the project has carried out an assessment and confirmed that there is no safety concern to the building. BCA concurs with his assessment", the spokesperson said.

As a precautionary measure, BCA has instructed the builder to remove all remaining protective screed on the sloped roof.

The architectural QP has also been tasked to investigate the cause of the incident further.

Top image from Shin Min Daily News / Google Street View